The end of the world in ten steps
by StanMarchxKyleBrowflowskiLuv
Summary: Forever is too good to be true, people change and friends drift apart. Oneshot


The End of the World in Ten Steps

Summary: Forever is too good to be true, people change and friends drift apart.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

_**"I used to believe in forever, but forever is too good to be true."**_

– _**Winnie the Pooh**_

**i.**

When their world begins to crumble, neither of them notices.

It's a beautiful day when it happens. It's the middle of April between the last frost and first spring shower. Huey and Ceaser never stood a chance.

It's after school, and asks "Do you want to come over, theres a who really shot Malcom X documentary coming on?" It's an innocent question with an all too obvious answer because this is the part where Ceaser says "Yeah, what does a nigga have for snacks?" but it's not the answer Huey receives.

There's a pause and it's a pause that holds the weight of the world—their friendship—in the balance. And it surprises them both when they hear the words that come out of Ceaser's mouth, "Sorry, I promised Hiro I would help him set up his records for the birthday party he's DJying."

Another beat of silence, tense and awkward and—"Oh, alright then, see you tomorrow I guess." And Huey is off and gone and Ceaser can say nothing more.

It's understandable that the two of them suspect nothing. Of course, they've been best friends for so long. Having each other is all they've known. It's comforting. _It's familiar_. So they miss the first signs and never realize that _this_ is where their world begins to end.

**ii.**

A year goes by, and then another one and another. That moment which so defines the rest of what they are, is forgotten because there are so many more moments to fill its space.

Ceaser gets a girlfriend. Huey gets a job. Ceaser practices the trumphet. Huey goes to piano class. Ceaser has his Brooklyn History Club and Huey has his black organizations.

Yes, they spend less time together and yes, they have different interests and activities, but they're still best friends and they still have each other. That is all they care about, so that is all they see.

**iii.**

Jazmine notices the distance. She notices the times Huey glances at Ceaser when he's with his science fiction club friends and she catches the way Ceaser looks at Huey when Huey is laughing with his friends from English class. Jazmine is pretty sure Huey and Ceaser are the only ones that don't understand _that they don't have each other anymore_, at least not the way they used to. Jazmine wants to take the two of them by the shoulders, shake them and yell: "Why are you two so damn blind!?"

_Why can't you two see that you're losing each other?_

**iv.**

It is their parents who say it out loud first. Innocent and well meaning, because that's what parents are for are.

It's a cool October day when Ceaser's mother points it out; they're eating breakfast (bananas and chocolate waffles—it's Every Flavor Waffle Day at the Ceaser residence) and she flips the page of the newspaper as she turns the world upside down: "I haven't seen Huey in a while." And she hasn't.

Ceaser stops eating which is strange by itself because it's Ceaser and there is food in front of him. He doesn't answer because his mother hasn't asked a question. A moment passes and he begins to chew again, he swallows and repeats the process. He hasn't seen Huey in a while, but Ceaser can't tell his mother that because there's something stopping him. It's an uncomfortable, foreboding feeling that there is something desperately wrong with the fact that he hasn't seen Huey in a while.

"We meet at Burger king."

She doesn't ask him anymore questions after that.

**v.**

For Huey, it is six days earlier and slightly warmer when the world stops spinning.

It's dinnertime and his grandad passes the bowl of salad to Riley. "You know I havent seen around that nappy-headen Ceaser boy for some time now." Riley for once does not make the situation any worse than it already is, and for that, Huey is grateful. He feels the need to defend himself and Ceaser, so he shrugs carelessly and hopes that the casual gesture throws them off the trail. He silently regroups.

_Ceaser hasn't been around for some time now_. And he hasn't, but there were good enough reasons for all of that. They were both busy; high school took a lot of effort out of the both of them. There just wasn't enough time like there used to be. They had different activities, different classes, different teachers and friends. All of these thoughts rush through Huey's head but he shoves them aside quickly, "We mostly hang out at the library." His voice is even and his lie is believable. Grandad and Riley move on and D.W. takes over the conversation once more.

Arthur wants to sigh from relief, they believe him, this is _good_. But there's a terrible feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach and he_ knows _that none of this is alright.

**vi.**

Ming used to be jealous of Huey and Ceaser. This is a few years ago and back then Ming had friends and people she's friendly with but she does not have a best friend. And she desperately wants a _best friend,_ because best friends will always be there and they never leave. She sees Huey and Ceaser and they're _always_ together. They hang out after school at Burger King, they play soccer in the park, they visit the book store and the ice cream parlor together. Ming plays kickball with Hiro, Ming goes to the movies with Cindy, Ming goes over to Jazmine's house. It's just not the same thing.

But maybe there's something in being left alone. Ming doesn't have a best friend but she has her kickball games and books and because of those two things she's quiet and observant (most athletes and readers are). She watches in the background and she sees things that most people don't. She sees the caution signs and warning signals in Huey and Ceaser's friendship long before anybody does, long before the moment their friendship starts to fragment and their world begins to break.

She's not jealous anymore.

**vii**.

It's a perfect day for gardening when Uncle Ruckus passes away. His funeral is a week later and Huey arrives with his brother and grandad by his side. A lot of members of the community are there to say their farewells. Ceaser does not come by because he is at football camp.

**viii. **

Riley is not a little kid. Sometimes he thinks his grandad sometimes forget's that and his teachers don't realize. He knows Huey still thinks of him as that eight year old kid who thinks all women are hoes and everthings gay. But he's not. He sees things and hears things and he realizes that Huey and Ceaser aren't the best friends they used to be. Because Ceaser always came over on Wednesday afternoons to watch old Star Wars movies and Huey always went over on Saturday nights for a Young Arican Americans Fighting against Racism meeting. And sure, they've grown up and they have less time to be together, but when he sees his brother out laughing with a bunch of kids, none of them are _Ceaser_, and when Ceaser's eating ice cream and talking with friends, none of them are_ Huey_.

He brings it up one day, it's a day that comes long after the October when Huey and Ceaser's mom notice the same thing, and Huey is caught off guard. The two siblings are sitting on the couch flipping through channels on the T.V. when Riley brings it up. He doesn't mean to at first, but the moment he asks Riley realizes he wants to know the answer more than he ever thought.

"Yo Huey why don't you and that gay ass nigga Ceaser hang out anymore?"

It's blunt, to the point and his response is even harsher.

"Why don't you and that _gay ass _Ganstalicious hang out anymore?"

Riley almost flinches. He refuses to look at him and the night passes in silence, so does the rest of the week. Huey and Riley do not talk. It's a quiet week in the Freeman house.

**ix.**

The change is gradual, autumn turns to winter and spring slips into summer, it's taken years to get to this point. Huey and Ceaser becomes Huey–pause–Ceaser. And all of a sudden they're two separate beings.

**x.**

When they pass by each other in the school hallway or on the sidewalk they smile, nod, wave. Sometimes they even stop and exchange brief, friendly—empty words. And maybe they feel a deep twinge of sadness—regret?—but it's all too brief and then it's gone.

And one day even their meaningless exchanges stop. So Huey–pause–Ceaser go their separate ways and live their separate lives, because friendship is such a fickle thing and forever is much too good to be true.

**...Wow that was angsty...Lol. Sorry it was so terrible. I suck at oneshots. Review**


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